A helicopter from Britain's Royal Navy crashed in southwest England during a training exercise, the Navy confirmed on Wednesday.
The aircraft, a Merlin Mk4 helicopter, went down in a field just before 4 a.m. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the incident.
Navy chief general Gwyn Jenkins confirmed the events in a statement, saying that he was "deeply saddened to share the news that three crew members onboard a Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter have died after it crashed in the early hours of this morning near Sourton, Devon."
Merlin helicopters are primarily used for anti-submarine warfare, but also for search and rescue, cargo transfers and maritime patrol, according to the Royal Navy's website.
They usually have a crew of four and have the capacity to carry up to 24 troops.
